Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-07-09

him, and concluded that he was tho proper
man to take the place left vacant by Chic
Justice Chase. He appointed Waite, and
no better choice was ever uade for sneh
position. Waite accepted the position
and understand that he shows no indiea
tions of intending to retire from 1t now. .
~
Speaking of Waite, Edgerton and Lat
ty," continued Representative Hill, they
are all men Of extraordinary ability, and
I.atty is fully the equal OF Waite IN lesa
learning. He is an Irishman by birth,
who first settled in Canada, but was driveu
thence on account of the Mackenzie rebel
lion, in which he was mixed up. He came
TO Ohio and practiced law, was made Judge,
and held his position for many years DC
had wonderful knowledge OF the law re-
poTts. There was not case that had been
tried, it seemed to me, which he could not
refer 10 in the reports of the various State
and United States courts, giving the vol
ume and page on which the case could be
found, the names of the plaintiffs and the
defendants, and even the syllabus. he Is
now living in retirement, and Is worth
about $50, 900. He aud Waite correspond
regularly, and attended dinner not long
ago at which Waite, EdgertOn and Latty
were present.
These three men are the most honest
trio know" Mr.. Hill continued. "Edger-
ton, Waite and Latty are so honest that
they might be trusted with the wealth OF
all Wall street of New York, and Thread
4 ar london
and they would render the account even
to the cent. During Latty's early life IN
Ohio he had made good deal OF money IN
land speculation, when he became inter
ested in the Miami and Erie canal. This
failed, and he found himself with lot OF
creditors on his hands and nothing TO pay
them. He took the benefit of the bank
rupt law and started anew. Ten years
later he had made another fortune. lie
then brought forth his note books contain
ing an alphabetical list OF all his creditors.
He calculated their accounts with interest
:or ten years, sought them out and pald
up every cent He would not allow a
creditor 10 receive only his principal, but
made HIM take the interest as well.
1T is a good deal the same with Edger-
ton. Edgerton's father was prominent
New Yorker, and Edgerton came to Ohio
As the agent OF land company which
owned large part of northwestern ONO.
This company was afterward known as
the Hicks Land company, and Edgerton
founded the town of Hicksville and named
it after Hicks. He received salary from
this company and a commission on his
a. and
upon closing up the affairs of the COM
pany he bought large amount of land OF
them at merely nominal price. Along
early in the seventies he was worth between
$500, 900 and 81 600, 90, and he was help
lna his brother, LycurguS Edgertou, who
wac doing business i'll New York. his
brother had only his verbal promise for
surety, and when the panic of 1873 came
around and caused him 10 fail to
the extent Of $3.50, 900, Edgerton
was not legally responsible for
his debts. Nevertheless he paid
every dollar Of them, though in doing 50
it cost him the larger part Of his fortune.
In order To get the ready money he had TO
sell valuable stocks, such ~ the Pittsbnrg,
Fort Wayne and Chicago railroad stock,
aud others which are now away above par,
but which wen5 then AZ sacrifice. Upon
EdgertonS friends urging him not to pay
these debts of his brother, stating that he
could rot be held for them, lac replied that
tue legal obligations made no difference to
him. He had promised his brother that
he would be his surety, and had he made
no such promise be would have paid his
brothers debts rather than see his notes
dishOnUrcd Edgertnn still owns about
5, 600 acres Of Land in Northwestern Ohio,
aud these have been aeatly increased in
value by the oil discovery. There IL =